Toshiba is actually one of the pioneers in mini-notebooks, with the Libretto that first came out in 2001, and the Tecra M4 convertible notebook. The NB110 certainly looks like it's related to those two, but unlike its predecessors, won't be available in the U.S. market anytime soon.

"The market is just not right yet," a Toshiba representative at Ceatec said.

But it will be available in Japan starting at the end of October for 70,000 yen ($660), with Europe and other Asian markets to follow.